Growing Peas in a Home Vegetable Garden

Report This Article

Growing Peas in a Home Vegetable Garden

Overview

Start garden peas early in the planting season. This climbing vine thrives in a cool, moist climate. Start testing the soil temperature in early spring, and plant peas when the soil is 45 degrees Fahrenheit or above. Peas grow best in full sun so choose an area of the garden that gets at least six hours of sun per day. Depending on the variety, peas are ready for harvest in seven to ten weeks. For a continuous summer harvest, plant pea seeds at two to three week intervals during the spring planting season.

Step 1

Spread a 2- inch thick layer of compost or aged manure over the planting area. Turn over the soil with a garden fork to mix in the organic matter. Work the soil until the organic matter is evenly distributed to a depth of 6 inches.

Step 2

Make the planting holes 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart along the length of the planting bed. Make a second row of planting holes 6 to 8 inches from the first row. Make the holes about the width of your index finger.

Step 3

Place 4-foot tall bamboo stakes at 3-foot intervals between the two rows of planting holes. Run a string between the bamboo stakes, starting 3 inches from the ground. Run the next string 6 inches above the last until you have a 4-foot tall string-trellis running the length of your planting row.

Step 4

Place one pea seed in each hole. Cover it with soil and pat down the area with the flat of your hand. Water the soil until it is damp to a depth of 1 inch.

Step 5

Water every day or every other day to keep the soil moist. Water lightly with a misting setting early in the morning. Avoid saturating the soil.

Step 6

Pull any weeds by hand. Keep the area free of weeds so that the pea seedlings do not have to compete for room or nutrients.

Step 7

Harvest the peas daily as they come ripe. Peas are ready to harvest when the pods are visibly swollen with peas. Use a sharp pair of nippers to clip the pods from the vine.

Step 8

Cut the plant to the ground when it is finished producing. Leave the plant matter on the ground to provide nutrients and compost for next years planting.

Things You'll Need

Compost or aged-manure

Bamboo stakes

Garden string

Nippers

References

University of Illinois Extension: Peas

Ohio State University Extension: Growing Peas and Snap Beans in the Home Garden

BBC: How to Grow Peas

University of Vermont: Planting Peas and Other April Gardening Tips

Keywords:
planting peas, pea trellis, pea seedlings

About this Author

Olivia Parker has been a freelance writer with Demand Studios for the past year, writing for Garden Guides and eHow. She has studied herbal and alternative medicine and worked as a landscape artist and gardener. Parker is currently pursuing a Bachelors of Arts from Boston University Online.